Micro Four Thirds

Chinese drone-maker DJI has jumped aboard an interchangeable lens alliance, promising aerial photography enthusiasts greater flexibility when shooting from the sky. Pledging its support for the Micro Four Thirds System standard could see new DJI drones come equipped with a greater range of cameras and lens types, while also allowing pilots to slap on their own. Read More

Panasonic has updated its GF series of mirrorless cameras with the GF7. The interchangeable-lens camera follows in the footsteps of the Samsung NX3000, Olympus E-PL7, and Fujifim X-A2 by making it easier to shoot and share high-quality selfies. In addition to a 180-degree tilting touchscreen and hands-free selfie shooting, the GF7 also boasts narcissist-friendly picture effects to make you look more attractive and slimmer. Read More

Panasonic has recently announced a selection of six new cameras for 2012, with the compact for enthusiasts, the LX7, and the mirrorless G5 being the most news-worthy. The LX7 (which replaces the LX5) boasts an F1.4 maximum aperture and a newly designed 10.1-megapixel MOS sensor, while the G5 (replacing the G3) has a 16.05-megapixel Live MOS sensor and an ISO range of up to 12,800. Read More

There has been quite a bit of pre-announcement discussion about what kind of features might be added to Panasonic's latest member of its LUMIX G Series of Micro Four Thirds digital cameras. As it transpired, the new LUMIX DMC-GF5 interchangeable lens camera was not the marked improvement on last year's GF3 that we'd hoped it would be. That said, it has been given a new sensor and rehashed imaging engine, an improved user interface with the opportunity to automatically optimize settings based on images snapped by professional photographers, and it will be available with a power zoom kit lens. Read More

Having provided DSLR owners with the power to exercise some in-camera creativity for a little over a year, Lensbaby has now announced new versions of its Composer Pro lens to fit a variety of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. The latest Composer Pro mounts will ship with the Double Glass Optic installed and, like the SLR version, are compatible with Lensbaby’s Optic Swap System. Read More

At first glance, you might think that you've seen the new E-M5 from Olympus before, and you'd be right. Kind of. The new Micro Four Thirds camera is based on the classic lines of the OM series film SLR cameras first introduced in 1972, and becomes the first of the company's OM-D Series. Olympus trumpets its arrival as the beginning of a new era in digital imaging and has included a number of breaking technologies to support its claims. Read More

Strange though it may seem, despite manufacturers going to great lengths to provide the very best in image quality, there are quite a number of snappers who long for the kind of warm and fuzzy (and often accidental) creations from the good old days of 35mm film cameras. Olympus or Panasonic Micro Four Thirds camera owners looking for a cheaper alternative to the kind of soft edging and background blur effects offered by the likes of Lens Baby might well be interested in SLR Magic's 35mm f1.4 toy Micro Four Thirds camera lens. Read More

Like all things digital, the technology in your beautiful new camera is heading towards obsolescence at an alarming rate. The same is true, though to a lesser extent, about that SLR lens with its own processors and motors for focus, aperture and stabilization. In the analog world of manual film lenses where a lifetime of use is guaranteed there has been a renaissance in the manufacture of high quality optics at all price points, driven in part by the advent of digital SLRs and cheaper camcorder options that are capable of delivering that "film look". But for serious moving picture shooting, still camera lenses just won’t cut it. Let’s explore why. Read More

Olympus has announced three new additions to its Micro Four Thirds PEN camera family, and two new lenses. There's no increase to the now familiar 12.3 megapixel count but the new E-P3, E-PL3 and E-PM1 do come with a newly-developed sensor, a brand new image engine and a huge ISO range. The new flagship E-P3 is also laying claim to the world's fastest autofocus title and benefits from a bright OLED touchscreen display to the rear. Read More

Pentax has announced the first pocket-friendly interchangeable lens camera to sport its new bayonet lens mount. The company says that its Q mount is about a third less in diameter than the more familiar K-mount, thanks to a reduction in the distance from the lens mount surface to the image sensor and by tweaking the size of the lens image circle to be proportionate to the sensor. The Pentax Q also makes use of a compact camera-sized sensor and sacrifices the onboard optical viewfinder, mirror box, focusing plate and autofocus sensor to help keep proportions to a minimum - making it about the same size as my Umbra credit card case. Other features of note include a programmable dial on the front for quick access to frequently-used settings, the ability to shoot full high definition video and a built-in flash that can pop up to help reduce red-eye. Read More